Less is definitely more exploring with our Vibram-soled Trail Glove natural adventure shoe. All the protection your feet need from rocks and roots, and an ultra-lightweight upper with a synthetic leather foot sling for stability fits like a glove.

Rock/Creekers are running in Merrell Barefoot shoes. Are you?
"When the Merrell Trail Glove and Merrell Pace Glove first arrived, we looked forward to hearing first impressions from trail runners. As we’ve sold them, we’ve asked for feedback; now that we’ve heard from our runners, that feedback is sounding really positive, across the board..."

"Beyond the sole, the upper of the shoe is as minimal as possible; the name is an apt one, as the Merrell Trail Glove fits the foot… well, just like a glove. In fact, other than securely holding the soles to your feet, the upper does a great job of staying out of the way. You could just superglue a pair of Vibram soles to your feet, but Merrell Barefoot has saved you the trouble...."

"Two of the hottest new trail running shoes on the market, the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove/Pace Glove and Salomon XR Crossmax, have received “best debut” honors in a Runner’s World review of trail runners. Here at Rock/Creek, we are pretty passionate about trail running, and both shoes are among the lineup of trail running shoes we’re carrying for this season...."

I got these shoes because my toes get cold in my Five Fingers if the temp is below 50. I was hoping I could wear wool socks in these and get a better trail experience while still having warm feet. This worked exactly how I hoped, and I can now get that minimalist feeling while still having warm toes. I'm anticipating this being nice in the summer, too, actually, since I think it might even breathe better than the five fingers, and it will insulate against hot pavement better.

These shoes give an excellent, natural stride, similar to what I experience with the komodosports or bare feet. They're good on a very wide variety of surfaces.

The fit, however, is strange. It's very tight around the midfoot, beginning at the top of the arch and ending at the first knuckles of my toes. This compresses the soft part of my foot and feels very weird while standing still or sitting. I don't mind it while walking. I believe this is to prevent your toes from bumping into the end of the shoe, and it works, but I don't think it will be comfortable to anyone with high arches. My husband has these shoes too, and he thinks the pressure irritates his plantar fascitis.

That, combined with the fact that loosening the shoe in order to put it on is very slow and complicated, made me give it only 4 stars instead of five. But, on the whole, I am happy with these shoes. I enjoy the feel of the trail and the ability to comfortably withstand a wider range of weather without having to resort to traditional shoes.

These shoes are a great barefoot SHOE option that still gives all the benefits of being barefoot but has a wonderful vibram tread that is in just the needed areas for great grip yet sensitivity on or off the trail. I love it as a cross trainer to incorporate in my normal training runs and exercises.

This shoe performs exceptionally well on trails and paved areas alike. It has been a great tool in foot and leg strengthening for me, and is a great alternative to going barefoot. I feel more confident to run on trails without fear of injuring my toes on rocks and roots, while maintaining the minimal shoe/barefoot sensation. The toebox has ample room for toe separation.

This shoe is great to use as a tool to strengthen your legs and feet and alleviate knee pain while running. They recommend using it only 10% of what you are used to doing at a time. I'll use them for the first mile or so of a run and then switch them out for a pair of shoes that I am carrying in a backpack. Still working my way up. I like them because they are an alternative to finger shoes!

I bought these shoes the same week as the Rock Creek River Gorge Trail race. I credit my performance to these shoes almost entirely. They performed better than I could have imagined. Although they are certainly not waterproof, they do not seem to get as heavy after soaking and also seem to shed water fairly quickly. They are a great introduction shoe to barefoot running and I could not be more pleased with them. They fit any foot well with their lacing system and toe box. They have 5mm of rubber outsole which is just enough protection from the big stuff. I will keep coming back to these for more races in the future.

I ran 7 miles a little hard in them right when I bought them. They felt great. On trails they are perfect. I could feel gravel a bit, but that's the way I wanted it. On roads, if you are a heel striker you're done, but I toe strike and my stride smoothed out while on roads.I just raced the River Gorge 10.2 in them also - conditions: mud, streams, puddles, rocks, boulders, rain, leaves, sticks on mostly on single track, a bit on jeep track. The shoe performed perfectly. And I can honestly say my feet feel great right now, just hours later.